What do I think or get up to as an Oracle Professional, UKOUG Volunteer, ACE Director?
These are my personal views

Monday, 9 July 2012

Volunteers' Day

UKOUG only works because of its volunteers and so a very important day in our calendar is the Volunteers' Day each July where we get the opportunity to say thank you.

This year we hoped to build on previous year feedback and ensure that as well as saying thank you the day is valuable to those who attend. All of us continue to have more pressures from work, family etc on our time so it has to be a worthwhile day and not just the opportunity to have a nice meal at the end of the day.

Council member Jeremy Duggan was the MC and the man behind the event, but as always every great man needs an even greater woman behind him and in this case it was Aimee from the office. (Only joking Jeremy).

Too much time is wasted on hearing reports so Jeremy had each of us limited to a short talk, although and I know keep going on about it, why was I limited to 10 minutes and yet Lisa got 15? (Joking again). Still it worked, the audience appreciated the quick summaries of what we had done. Fuller reports were all made available before the event, although I already see the call for us to have them as youtube clips for next year. This could be my chance for fame.

We then spent the rest of the morning in community groups followed by a great Lunch. The afternoon was given over to volunteers having the opportunity to hear about and contribute to Council Task Groups. This I thought and feedback confirms was the best part of the day. All too often we ask for input and it is the next year before volunteers see if we have listened. These task groups are working now, making decision about UKOUG works and our strategy. At the end of the day the decision was drop the community time, the volunteers work as communities already but give them more input into UKOUG working.

He may not have liked it but those attending decided Jeremy did a great job an hired him again for next year and he agreed subject to Aimee being on board.

And of course we finished off the day with a great dinner, chat and putting the world to rights over a few glasses of red wine.

Just to confirm it as the badge says, we love our Volunteers' Thank You